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Showing results for hostage. Search instead for hostat.
Definitions

hostage

[hos-tij] / ˈhɒs tɪdʒ /
NOUN
person held captive until captor's demand is met
Synonyms
Antonyms


Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

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Her husband's mother was a spokesperson for the group that took dozens of Americans captive during the 1979 Iran hostage crisis.

From BBC Aug. 19, 2026

“Prices stay hostage to Hormuz transit data and any signal from the Iran-Oman channel. A durable reopening would cap upside, while further escalation points toward a retest of the $95 to $100/barrel band for Brent.”

From The Wall Street Journal Aug. 18, 2026

It seems like every industry is being held hostage by artificial intelligence.

From MarketWatch Aug. 7, 2026

The special enforcement bureau, which handles high-risk tactical operations like barricaded suspects and hostage situations, has been at the center of several recent controversies.

From Los Angeles Times Aug. 4, 2026

Stark’s eldest son would have followed him as Lord of Winterfell, but Sansa would have stayed at court, a hostage.

From "A Dance with Dragons" by George R. R. Martin

Ratcliffe has had some success dealing with the Kremlin, such as in helping secure the release of American hostages in Russia, U.S. officials said.

From The Wall Street Journal Aug. 27, 2026

Nigerian army spokesman Lt-Col Aliyu Danja said it was unclear where the abductors were moving their hostages when troops intercepted them, adding that the army was now attempting to track the kidnappers.

From BBC Aug. 9, 2026

“Once he became Middle East envoy and was given responsibility for the hostages, he became one of the most famous people in Israel overnight,” an Israeli journalist who has covered him told me.

From Slate Jul. 22, 2026

Friday, the two hostages were released, and at 2:30 a.m. the Hendricksons exited the trailer.

From Los Angeles Times Jul. 18, 2026

By now, surely, all of her hostages would have been released.

From "A Dance with Dragons" by George R. R. Martin

On the other hand, John Donvan conceded that there is a limit to living in the past—to hostaging yourself, for instance, to outdated agreements and other generations’ crimes.

From Slate Jan. 11, 2012

Q. Have you expressed that view of hostaging to President Bush?

From Time Magazine Archive

In their minds, hostaging means trading -- and trading means talking.

From Time Magazine Archive




Vocabulary lists containing hostage


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